Author: James Newcomer
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An Editor’s Pet Peeves and Common Errors – And Are They Important?
April 3, 2025 In response to my plea for what writers would like to find in an editor’s post, Sara McBride, a member of my writing group, asked if I could list some of my pet peeves and common errors in the manuscripts I read and edit. I was fascinated by…
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Starting Off: Writing on a Rainy Day
Mar 05, 2025 I’ve dreamed of writing a blog for as long as I’ve been editing books. That’s about 7 years now, I discovered today when I renewed my membership in the Editorial Freelancers’ Association (EFA).And today, a day of rain but mixed with sunlight between the showers, I’m actually starting it. And…
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A Tribute on Bob Gottlieb’s Passing
Robert Gottlieb, my model for what an editor should be, died recently In New York at the age of 92. Bob Caro (author of The Power Broker and 4 volumes and counting of the Lyndon Johnson story) was a college classmate of mine In the 1950s, and I became a Gottlieb devotee when I read…
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Some Thoughts About Writing a Memoir
In a memoir you want to write a story about a significant part of your life. It should engage your reader and convey something important that you have learned by living through a significant turning point. And then you need to stop. It’s not an autobiography. It’s a story, a gift to…
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You Don’t Need an Editor? Mistake!
An Introduction to: “The Importance of Being Edited” DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM? A friend recently finished the second draft of his book. He is publishing it privately, printed on demand, he told me. He showed me the first printed copy. It was beautiful. The cover was handsome, the binding held it together perfectly, and…
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Take the Time to Write a Great Query Letter & Book Proposal
An agent walking down 6th Avenue in New York, so the story goes, stops at a traffic light. While waiting for the light to change to WALK, she starts thumbing through the unread emails on her phone. Her goal is to delete 100 query letters before the light changes. Your job: write the one that…